When trophy hunting is discussed, the spotlight often falls on conservancies and the benefits it brings, yet one tends to forget that private landowners also contribute significantly by looking after their communities.
Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA) president Axel Cramer said that by definition, a community is any group of people that can be clustered together; therefore, every farm is its own micro-community. "Hunting farms employ these communities, offering a stable income, meat and a place to live. This support extends not only to the employees themselves but often to their immediate families as well.
“It is difficult to speak only for the private sector; however, it constitutes the largest part of trophy hunting in Namibia.”
Cramer said that according to statistics received from the tourism ministry regarding trophy animals hunted, the income generated in 2022 was approximately N$330 million in a year when Namibia was still recovering from Covid.
The same year saw 3 152 international trophy hunters visiting the country, Cramer said.
“According to a survey conducted that year, the average cost per hunting day per person was about N$6 000. A rest day cost N$2 500. If we assume a conservative estimate of an average 7-day visit, with five hunting days, you can do the math.”
According to Cramer, gratuities also form a significant amount, adding to the remuneration of staff.
Commercial value
“We have yet to determine the complete value chain, as this does not include trophy processing by taxidermists, shipping, etc.”
He said that the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) currently lists 667 hunting operators on their website, which includes hunting farms and outfitters.
Cramer said that Namibia is home to approximately 3 000 commercial farms and 600 registered hunting guides, including guides, master hunting guides, professional hunters, and big game professional hunters, who make use of privately owned hunting farms.
In comparison, Namibia has only 55 active hunting conservancies, he said.
Cramer added that the tourism ministry reported that ten years ago, the hunting industry in Namibia was responsible for creating 15 000 jobs. “These jobs are spread across communal and private land, as well as within supporting industries such as taxidermy.”
He said that this figure underscores the critical role that the hunting industry plays in providing employment opportunities in rural areas.
Cramer said that given the economic growth Namibia has experienced in recent years, it is estimated that the hunting industry would have created just over 16 000 jobs by 2024.
According to the latest Labour Force Report from the Namibia Statistics Agency, Namibia has 546 805 employed persons, of which the above-mentioned 16 000 represents roughly 3% of the entire labour force.
“Given that Namibia has a population of about 3 million people, we can infer that for every working Namibian, approximately 4.5 others are, to some degree, dependent on them. This means that about 88 000 people are dependent on trophy hunting in Namibia, which is also roughly 3% of our entire population.”
In his 2023 study, Economic Analysis of Private Commercial Farmland in Northern-Central Namibia, Vincent Vitale noted that cattle enterprises employed an average of six people, while hunting employed an average of 21 people and tourism averaged 21 people.
Thus, hunting employs significantly more people than cattle farming.
Namibia Professional Hunting Association (NAPHA) president Axel Cramer said that by definition, a community is any group of people that can be clustered together; therefore, every farm is its own micro-community. "Hunting farms employ these communities, offering a stable income, meat and a place to live. This support extends not only to the employees themselves but often to their immediate families as well.
“It is difficult to speak only for the private sector; however, it constitutes the largest part of trophy hunting in Namibia.”
Cramer said that according to statistics received from the tourism ministry regarding trophy animals hunted, the income generated in 2022 was approximately N$330 million in a year when Namibia was still recovering from Covid.
The same year saw 3 152 international trophy hunters visiting the country, Cramer said.
“According to a survey conducted that year, the average cost per hunting day per person was about N$6 000. A rest day cost N$2 500. If we assume a conservative estimate of an average 7-day visit, with five hunting days, you can do the math.”
According to Cramer, gratuities also form a significant amount, adding to the remuneration of staff.
Commercial value
“We have yet to determine the complete value chain, as this does not include trophy processing by taxidermists, shipping, etc.”
He said that the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) currently lists 667 hunting operators on their website, which includes hunting farms and outfitters.
Cramer said that Namibia is home to approximately 3 000 commercial farms and 600 registered hunting guides, including guides, master hunting guides, professional hunters, and big game professional hunters, who make use of privately owned hunting farms.
In comparison, Namibia has only 55 active hunting conservancies, he said.
Cramer added that the tourism ministry reported that ten years ago, the hunting industry in Namibia was responsible for creating 15 000 jobs. “These jobs are spread across communal and private land, as well as within supporting industries such as taxidermy.”
He said that this figure underscores the critical role that the hunting industry plays in providing employment opportunities in rural areas.
Cramer said that given the economic growth Namibia has experienced in recent years, it is estimated that the hunting industry would have created just over 16 000 jobs by 2024.
According to the latest Labour Force Report from the Namibia Statistics Agency, Namibia has 546 805 employed persons, of which the above-mentioned 16 000 represents roughly 3% of the entire labour force.
“Given that Namibia has a population of about 3 million people, we can infer that for every working Namibian, approximately 4.5 others are, to some degree, dependent on them. This means that about 88 000 people are dependent on trophy hunting in Namibia, which is also roughly 3% of our entire population.”
In his 2023 study, Economic Analysis of Private Commercial Farmland in Northern-Central Namibia, Vincent Vitale noted that cattle enterprises employed an average of six people, while hunting employed an average of 21 people and tourism averaged 21 people.
Thus, hunting employs significantly more people than cattle farming.
